Sharing Thanks

Liz making a wish for Spring weather in front of the reflective Chicago Bean! I just got back from a wonderful short trip to Chicago. My daughter Liz was accepted into Columbia College Chicago so we went to tour the campus and this beautiful, friendly city! So many wonderful experiences to be thankful for, it will be hard to just write about four! Here goes: Sharing thanks for safe travels. Thanks to my Mom for giving us a ride to the airport on Thursday morning. Thanks to my husband Spencer who picked us up from the airport with a hug and a smile. Thanks to United Airlines for smooth on-time flights. Can I recommend more seating room? Very cramped seats even for small folk. Thanks to Columbia College Chicago for the wonderful program for accepted students. We enjoyed touring the amazing media arts facilities with state of the industry equipment. Enjoyed sampling a meal from the dining commons. Thanks for the trolley rides to get to the buildings on time. Loved the apartment sui...

Hope you find your pot of gold!, Shamrock's from Hick's Yesterday was St. Patrick's Day, the day when everyone puts on emerald green and dances a jig! I enjoyed reading some Irish sayings yesterday on the Huffington Post.  My favorite Irish saying: "May your thoughts be as glad as the shamrocks. May your heart be as light as a song. May each day bring you bright, happy hours. That stay with you all the year long." If you want to read some more Irish wisdom you can visit  A Bit of Blarney . They have Irish toasts, blessings and quotes from famous Irish writers and poets! Here is my favorite Irish blessing: "May the road rise to meet you, May the wind be always at your back, May the sun shine warm upon your face, The rains fall soft upon your fields, And until we meet again, May God hold you In the palm of his hand."  I found this fun you tube video of Conan learning to Irish Step Dance! Enjoy watching. Here is what I was th...

Word art by Daniel Patrick Helmstetter I want these beautiful plates and sayings for my kitchen! I was lucky to grow up in a house where creativity was encouraged and appreciated. My mom is an artist, photographer and teacher! I am also fortunate to have good friends who thrive on creativity and love to go to art shows and museums. My friend Liz was fortunate to get passes for us to go to the Fountain Art Fair at the armory on Saturday. The Fountain Art Fair was founded in 2006 and showcases the talents of smaller independent galleries, collectives and artists so they can reach a wider audience of collectors and critics. What I loved about visiting the show was the opportunity to talk to some of the artists themselves. It is fascinating for me to hear about the process that goes into their works. I met an artist who paints on fire treated papers.I met an artist, Joshua Knoblick who creates sculpture from pictures of sounds of famous quotes. It is uplifting to meet people who are pa...

English Garden at the Hick's Flower Show I went to see the Hick's Flower Show on Friday, while it was snowing. Seeing the beautiful displays put some Spring in my step. The theme of the flower show is Gardens of the World. Going to Hick's made me feel like I was in Tuscany, England, Ireland, Japan and Mexico! I will be posting pictures from the show the next few weeks on the blog. Here is what I am thankful for! Thankful for the Spring weather over the weekend. I enjoyed two beautiful days in Manhattan which I will tell you more about tomorrow! It was wonderful to be walking around in a light jacket. Thankful to see two purple crocuses in my front yard today full in bloom! Thankful that my daughter Becky is home for Spring break. Her bus was late so I picked her up at 1:45 am! We had fun staying up late talking about her college semester. It is nice to have her home! Thankful to spend the morning enjoying the vibrant colors and sweet fragrances at the Hick's fl...

My husband and I had a double date night with our good friends Liz and Tom.We all love seeing great films. We have been trying to see a film once a month together. One of our favorite theaters is the Cinema Arts Centre . They have wonderful films and The Sky Cafe is a great place to get a snack or some coffee before or after your movie! We saw Dustin Hoffman's directorial debut, "Quartet." If you love classical music, Verdi, and great acting you will absolutely love this movie. Being a violinist myself,  I love the message of the movie. When we perform at any age we forget our age completely.  My friend Liz also got me a perfect birthday gift! I'd like to be famous for Gratitude blogging! Table Topics the Happiness edition was the perfect birthday gift for me. After the movie she gave me this gift and we enjoyed so fun conversations answering the questions. I love good conversations and laughing together about exploring what makes us happy and gets us to thin...

This is a wonderful video to raise awareness about bullying. The poem is inspiring. This is issue is close to my heart as my daughter has been a victim of cyberbullying and bullying in school. We need to become a kinder gentler society. I am thankful for Anderson Cooper for airing another great 360 piece on bullying. I pray that we can live in a society where: Differences are respected and tolerated. Kindness and deserved compliments flourish Education is focused on creativity and skill building for kids with all abilities. Families create living environments that are supportive where everyone thrives. Please watch and share this video.